Method of treating yarns for knitting



Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL P. RUFF, JR.,- OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF TREATING YARNS FOR KNITTING.

No Drawing. Application filed April 3,

My invention relates to methods of treating yarns for use in knitting.

The fibrous surfaces of the yarns as they come from the original packageinvolve too much friction in the subsequent operations for successfulmechanical knitting and it has been found practically essential tosmooth or soften these surfaces before the yarns enter the knittingmachines.

The standard original package contains 378 strands of yarn in some kindof. coil and is known in shop parlance as a ball. If the yarn from aball passes through a mercerizing process it is again disposed in a coilbut, in shop parlance is called a bale, though the shape of the coil maybe indentical with that of the original. ball, and. like the ball itcontains 378 strands of yarn. In passing to the knitting operation thestrands pass through a reed, then over a yarn roller, then to a guidingframe which guides the individual strands to the respective cones,bobbins, spools or other winding agent upon which they are wound and rfrom which they pass to the knitting operation. The term winding unit ashereinafter used is intended to denote any element upon which individualyarns are wound.

The usual practice is to apply the smooth ing agent which is usually abar of wax, to the individual yarns after they leave the guiding frameand either just before they reach the winding unit or after they leavethat unit and before they reach the knitting operation.

The perfection of the knitting depends in large degree upon theperfection with which the smoothing and winding operations are effectedand the consequent uniformity of tension upon the yarns:

The old method requires 378 independ ent waxing units and uniformity ofwaxing or tension is impossible.

The strands coming from the ball or bale pass from the reed to the yarnroller in a single ply sheet composed of 378 parallel and closelyadjacent strands, hereinafter called the warp.- By applying thesmoothing agent to the warp before it reaches the 1923. Serial No.629,575.

guiding frame which directs the individual strands to the respectivewinding units, a single smoothing agent does the work which previouslyrequired 378 independent units and practical uniformity of both waxingandtension may be obtained. I prefer to apply the smoothing agent to thewarp after it leaves the reed and before it reaches the yarn roller, butthe essential factor is that it be applied before the strands are causedto diverge from each other to be guided to the respective winding units.

The waxing or smoothing may be effected by causing the warp to travelacross a bar of wax, preferably movable to cause a rolling movement ofthe yarns, or by causing the yarns to travel across a surface,preferably rotatable. which is moistened with a waxy fluid or avegetable oil.

By this method the yarns are smoothed and softened and their potentialfriction reduced at the earliest possible stage, the smoothing andsoftening is much more uniform, the winding operations are much moreperfectly effected, the tension upon the yarn in both winding andl-znitting operations is much more uniform, and the proportion ofseconds is reduced to a negligible quantity.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Pat-ent is 1. The method of treating yarns for knitingpurposes consisting in passing multiple strands of yarn over a smoothingagent, having a movement which will impart a rolling action to thestrands of yarn, substan tially as described.

2. The hereindescribed method of treating yarns for knitting operationsconsisting in applying a smoothing agent to the yarns as they come fromthe original package before the strands are diverted from each other topass to the winding units, said smoothing agent, having a movement whichwill impart a rolling action to the strands of yarn.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

SAMUEL P. RUFF JR.

